Dance of the Flame
by UncutDiamond
Summary: Zuko and Iroh join a traveling players' caravan to get food and a good night's rest.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any Avatar characters. I only have a usual obsession with Prince Zuko.

"Hail, friends, would you like to stay the night?" The deep voice called out into the darkness as the young man and his uncle passed by the traveling players' campsite. Iroh stopped and looked around. The pathway was clear but several fires glowed off to his right as the large welcoming face watched them with dark brown eyes. Zuko stopped as well, but it was forced; his uncle's hand was on his shoulder.

"Uncle!" He hissed. Iroh silenced him with a swift glance. Zuko ran a hand through his short, fuzzy hair in frustration. Iroh watched the man warily but Zuko could see the small spark forming in his eyes. Kindled, it would blaze.

"Nephew, I think we should take up their offer. They could have good food. Wouldn't it be nice to have a good night's rest for once?" He asked softly. This simple inquiry made the prince pause and sigh. Yes, it would have been wonderful to just stop. Where were they going to go? As Zuko nodded reluctantly, another head popped up from the encampment and Iroh smiled.

"Come; let's see if they have any roast duck!" He exclaimed, his mouth watering at the very thought. Zuko followed his over-eager uncle off the path and into the sparsely populated forest. The camp, he noticed, was very large. About a dozen fires flickered and winked at him in the dark. A couple of miniature caravans, hauled by strange two-legged animals, rested in small clusters close to the fires. Several faces watched the two newcomers enter into their camp; not knowing it was two fugitives they harbored. The man who had called to them stood and waved a hand, as if he were presenting some grand show. His skin was dark compared to Zuko's and his hands were large and scarred.

"Welcome to the campsite of the Rei Sin Players." He said quietly, motioning them over to his own fire where several people were crowded around. One was a young woman, most likely his wife, and a number of younger children. He sat and Iroh followed suit. The man looked expectantly at Zuko, but the prince stayed standing. The man turned back to Iroh, the smile taking up his entire face.

"We don't get many lone travelers here, sir. We always welcome those we do see." He explained as the young woman passed a small wooden bowl in Iroh's direction. The contents steamed and Iroh took it gratefully.

"I am Michi, by the way. And this is my wife, Akemi." He stuck out his hand and Iroh took it, briefly grasping it and smiling pleasantly.

"A pleasure to meet you both." He said, sitting back and beginning to eat the stew. "I am…" He paused, exchanging a quick glance with Zuko. "I am Iroh and this is my nephew, Zuko." Michi nodded and his dark brown eyes rested on Zuko.

"Would you like something to eat?" He asked. Zuko shook his head and rested a hand on his uncle's shoulder. He was feeling a little restless even though he had hardly gotten any sleep the night before. It was hard being a fugitive.

"I'm going to take a walk." He muttered quietly. Iroh frowned.

"We've been walking all day! Why?" Zuko shrugged his shoulders. Michi cleared his throat and spoke quietly.

"If you're going to take a look around, can I ask you to take this to Kaminari? She's the girl sitting over there." He pointed and handed Zuko a loaf of bread. "I'd be grateful, and I think she will be as well." Zuko only nodded and made his way over the small fire in the distance leaving his uncle to eat his fill of stew. Behind him, he could hear his uncle talking loudly with the man, Michi. He sighed and continued walking through a small stand of trees.

As he approached, he noticed that the girl was alone, sitting quietly by the fire as if absorbed in it. A small cart was parked next to her and one of the strange animals was tethered to a tree close by. He cleared his throat and she looked up, her yellow eyes meeting his immediately. He held out the bread and she took it, setting it on the ground beside her.

"Thank you." She said softly. There was a strange tilt to her voice, as if she was about to sing instead of speak. He nodded and was about to walk away when she spoke again.

"Familiarity is the truest of all things, but it can tell more lies than a fool."

Her voice sounded eerie as if she was warning him of something. He didn't turn around but momentarily stopped, listening to her voice drift away on the light breeze, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't say anything, he kept walking passing through the thin screen of trees separating her from the rest of the camp. Her yellow eyes watched him leave, his form melting into the shadows. When she couldn't see him anymore, she turned back to her campfire and began to hum under her breath.

Zuko passed through the other campsites, sometimes halting to listen to the stories they were telling or watch the strange acrobatics they were performing. Most of the people he saw were from the Earth Kingdom, but he noticed that there were several from the Fire Nation and one or two from the Water Tribes. It seemed to be a mixed group, but everyone was friendly, familiar with each other. The words the girl spoke to him before ran through his mind briefly and he shuddered. She had appeared unusual and her manner made him a little uncomfortable. It was as if she wasn't quite connected as everyone else was. He paused to watch two firebenders juggle flaming torches, adding more and more, lighting them with a flick of their wrists. Some young children had stopped top watch with them, awestruck and mouths hanging open. He crossed his arms and, though he hated to admit it even to himself, it was one of the most amazing things he had seen. The fire was just a blur now and the two young men's faces reflected the firelight, casting black shadows across the ground. Then, with a flourish, they each threw their torches in the air and effortlessly caught them with one hand.

The children started clapping loudly and the two performers bowed deeply. Zuko uncrossed his arms and continued walking slowly around the camp. When he arrived back at Michi's camp, he noticed that the fire much larger, a bonfire. There was a crowd gathering around it, all talking and joking with each other. He found his uncle and Michi sitting close by, both deep in conversation.

"Ah, nephew, they are going to start a small performance! Apparently they do this every night!" Iroh sighed contentedly, leaning back against a tree. Michi grinned and pulled out a large wooden flute, setting it on the ground beside him. Zuko felt a twinge of regret as he watched his uncle talk with Michi, smiling and enjoying himself. It was kind of his own fault that his uncle was away from the Fire Nation. If Zuko hadn't objected, hadn't been disloyal to his father…but no. He didn't want to think about that right now, he didn't want to think about his father. Or the Fire Nation. They were traitors now, wanted. His own family had tried to kill him. There were some things you just couldn't forgive.

Zuko was brought back to reality by the sudden hush that had fallen over the crowd. He looked up and noticed everyone was starring off into the woods. He followed their gaze and could see a figure dressed in red, walking between the trees. Squinting, he recognized the girl he had met earlier. She walked forward, ignoring the stares of the others, right next the fire. Turning slowly, she faced the crowd. She was no longer in the clothes she had worn before, in fact Zuko was stunned at how different she looked.

She was wearing some sort of costume that was a bright, flaming red. Her skirt was slit at the thigh giving her free movement, and all over were sown small copper pieces that made noise when she moved. The clothe around her stomach and lower back was a bright gold, the sleeves and rest of the top were the same bright red, though without the copper pieces. The sleeves were long and large, draping gracefully across her arms. In her hands, she held two red fans with intricate gold designs.

"This is a special…" Michi whispered, awed. Iroh looked at him strangely as if puzzled.

"What do you mean?" He asked, though his eyes now traveled back to the girl who was standing perfectly straight, her head cocked to one side, listening to the murmuring of the people.

"Usually, she never comes to dance." Michi muttered quietly. Slowly, he picked up his flute and stood. The girl's eyes turned towards him and she raised the fans. Michi put the flute to his lips and blew quietly. The girl gracefully swept her arms and swung deliberately around to face the fire. Michi blew another note and she moved one leg out and bent low to the ground, shifting her body, still facing the fire. Noise like rain sounded from the jingling copper as she made each movement. For a moment all was still. Then Michi began a song, soft and measured at first, quickening as he went along. The girl moved gracefully along with the music, twirling her fans expertly and shifting into different positions; sometimes low to the ground, sometimes on the tip of her toes. She whirled about quickly as the music got faster, her bright red outfit reflecting the gleam of the fire. She danced so rapidly that she herself looked as if she were a flame that had leapt out of the fire itself.

It was enchanting.

Every one of the traveling players were watching with far-off expressions on their faces, only their eyes moving while following the girl's graceful dance. Zuko was reminded of firebending; how graceful it was, almost like a dance of battle. It was a dance of fire and Zuko understood it.

Just as suddenly, the dance stopped and the music died down. She was facing them now lightly closing her fans with a snap. Her yellow eyes landed on Zuko and she held his gaze. Her mouth was open and she was breathing deeply, the firelight creating shadows on her face; but her eyes twinkled brightly as they look intently at Zuko. He was the first to look away unnerved by her careful look. Michi bowed slightly to the girl, muttering something under his breath as he sat down next to Iroh again. The camp was once again filled with deafening silence as the girl walked away again, not looking back once, through the trees.

"That was…" Iroh trailed off, unable to think of anything to say.

"I understand." Michi said watching her figure disappear into the darkness. "There are no words." Iroh nodded as Zuko stared into the darkness after her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own or have anything to do with the creation of Avatar.

Michi laughed loudly, clutching his belly and slapping his knee. Zuko glared at him from a distance as he put out the flames around his feet, stamping on them with one brown shoe.

"What's so funny?" He asked bitterly as he violently stomped on the fire. His shoe was beginning to turn a dark gray and when the fire was out he picked up two scorched torches.

"Oh, now, what a haughty student I have." Michi exclaimed and walked over to Zuko as he was about to relight the torches. Michi swiftly snatched them out of his hands and Zuko looked up angrily in surprise.

"What was that for?"

"Watch me first. See how I catch them and you will understand what you did wrong." Michi said, giving him a stern look that silenced Zuko's comeback. Downtrodden, he watched Michi as he lit the torches with a match. He threw one into the air and caught it again as it came back down. A split second later, it was in the air again along with the other torch, flipping slowly then falling back into Michi's expert hand. The man caught them both and handed them to Zuko.

"Try again." He said, remaking the motion with his hand. Zuko nodded stiffly and took both of the flaming torches. With complete concentration, he threw one into the air and caught it. He repeated the motion several times while Michi watched with a thoughtful expression. Then, Zuko threw one into the air, the other following swiftly afterwards. He caught one, threw it into the air, and caught the other as the first one was falling back to him. He did this several times and Michi began to smile. A single bead of sweat ran down Zuko's face as his eyes never left the flames, always watching carefully as the burning torch came back down on him, always careful never to actually touch the flame. When he thought he was doing well, he caught both of them and turned proudly to Michi, a small smile on his face.

"Well done, Zuko. Excellent. Tomorrow, we'll try with two more." Michi gave Zuko a clap on the back and headed back to the camp. Zuko followed, putting out the fire still burning on the torches. They hadn't gone far, just a few yards, for safety mostly so they didn't catch any of the tents on fire.

The morning was bright; sunlight streamed through the leafy branches and bathed everything in a golden light. The Rei Sin Players had camped in the woods for several weeks now, passing through small villages now and again, showing off their talents and collecting a coin or two when they could. Zuko and Iroh had stayed with them, always having a good meal and a place to sleep at night. But Michi couldn't afford to feed his wife, two children, and still have to put up with Iroh and Zuko. He decided to teach Zuko the art of torch juggling so they could both earn money of their own. Iroh had taken up the title of Pai Sho player among them. He had, so far, beaten every village champion they had visited and had earned money by bets placed on each player. He was a very happy old man; disregarding the fact that he was wanted and sometimes without his precious tea.

Not today, however, for Zuko found Iroh sitting by their own camp drinking a steaming cup of tea, mint from the strong smell wafting over to him. He sniffed and waved as Michi went to his own camp to have a small lunch.

"Ah, nephew, would you like to have a delicious cup of fresh tea? It's quiet good." Iroh said slowly as he took another sip. Zuko sighed but nodded. Iroh looked delighted as he rummaged through their belongings to find another cup Zuko could use. They didn't have much, using what they had been given by Michi and others around the camp. They had also, luckily, gotten one of the strange two-legged birds to carry their goods for them. Michi had arranged everything for them. They owed him a lot.

"Here, this is good." Iroh said as he handed the cup to Zuko. Zuko breathed in the sweet aroma of mint and took a sip of the tea. It was hot, but it felt good to drink something that was not water or diluted sake which the young men often had. He sighed and leaned back against a tree, looking at the other members of the camp. He liked being here, though he wouldn't admit it to anyone. It was peaceful, and not being forced to act like a prince all the time was something he could get used to. Though thoughts of capturing the Avatar crossed his mind now and again, he wasn't as intent as he had been. It was…exhausting, always thinking about the Avatar and Zuko had a final chance to be rid of that burden. It was nice.

"Uncle, where are we going?" He asked lightly, sipping his mint tea. Iroh watched Zuko with a tranquil smile on his face.

"To the small town on Noburi I believe. Michi told me last night that someone important would be there and we were asked to entertain for him." Iroh drained his cup of tea and sat contentedly back. The day was nice and he had not been so happy since the day they had left the Fire Nation. Of course, he had been somewhat delighted to accompany his young nephew, but there was always a tension between them and the rest of the crew. Now, it was gone and Iroh was sure Zuko felt its absence too. He sighed and put his tea down, the cup drained to the last drop.

"So, nephew, how were the lessons." Zuko grinned and put his cup down also. Leaning back, he put the torches Michi had given him down on the ground beside him. The look in his eyes was loving and Iroh wondered how he had ever thought he could understand his nephew's mind at all.

"The lessons are excellent uncle." He replied at last, smoothing the front of his brown shirt. They had been able to get some new clothes after a few days. Not the most stylish things out there, but they were decent.

"Michi said that in a few days, he'll let me perform one night." Zuko smiled slightly. Iroh nodded and stroked his short beard.

"Maybe if you asked nicely he will let you perform when we get to Noburi." Iroh said, a thoughtful look crossing his features. Zuko nodded absently, even now the plan forming in his mind.

"That's sounds like a good idea." He said quietly, more to himself than to his uncle. Iroh smiled.

………………………………………..

Zuko decided to ask Michi when they were a few hours away from Noburi. The entire Rei Sin Players' camp was traveling on the slow, dusty road to the small Earth Kingdom village. The sun was bearing down on them mercilessly and everyone had donned a straw hat to keep from getting too much of the bright light. Zuko walked casually up next to his juggling teacher who was gently but firmly pulling along his ostrich named Muu.

"Michi, I was wondering…" Zuko trailed off, trying to think of a good way to ask. Michi grinned from underneath his hat and wiped a bead of sweat that had run down his face.

"Yes?" He asked.

"I was wondering if I could perform in the village when we arrive." Zuko said, fingering the lining on his brown shirt. He looked up and straight into the Michi's dark brown eyes. Zuko was surprised to see a frown crossing Michi's face as he looked ahead. After a minute of silence between them, Michi finally answered.

"No."

"Why not?" Zuko asked angrily, trying to keep his voice neutral. Michi rubbed his hand across his face and let out a long sigh.

"Zuko, we've been to Noburi before and they are occupied by some pretty unpleasant characters. The earthbender soldiers there dislike all firebenders or anyone from the Fire Nation. I _know_ you're from the Fire Nation, you're uncle told me." He said as Zuko was about to interrupt. Zuko scowled and crossed his arms.

"I see." Zuko huffed. Michi sighed and turned to the road.

"Zuko, maybe next time," he said. "If it makes you feel any better, no other firebenders or Fire Nation players are allowed to perform either." Zuko sighed quietly and they continued on in silence.

………………………………………..

As they came nearer to the village, the performers who had originally come from the Fire Nation moved to the back of the caravan. Among them, reluctantly, were Zuko and his uncle. Iroh did not mind at all but Zuko had withdrawn, disappointed about not being able to perform his juggling. They trudged along with about five others who also would not get to perform.

Looking around, Zuko noticed the other firebenders and then suddenly, someone caught his eye. It was the girl he had first seen when they had arrived. He had seen her before, of course, when they had made camp on the woods, but he did not know that she was from the Fire Nation. He watched her for a minute or so until Iroh nudged him in the stomach with his elbow.

"What are you looking at, nephew?" He asked slyly and pointedly following Zuko's gaze. Quickly, Zuko averted his eyes and stared at the road.

"Nothing uncle," he said quietly. Iroh raised his eyebrows.

"Oh? I see." He answered smugly. Zuko sighed and decided to stay quiet. If he said something, Iroh would most likely retort with an unwanted comment to provoke him. When Zuko glanced at his uncle again, he grinned when he saw disappointment covering Iroh's face. He quickly glanced over to the girl again when he was sure that his uncle wasn't paying too much attention. She was walking slowly with her head bent. The dark red pants she was wearing were too long for her, the bottoms dragging on the ground. The sleeveless shirt she wore showed off her toned arms and shoulders. Zuko marveled that, coming from the Fire Nation, her skin was so dark.

_Must be from this sun all the time_, he thought as he shaded his eyes from the sky. He sighed irritably and his eyes narrowed. _Finally, we're here._


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I have nothing to do with the creation of Avatar, just a strong liking for the show.

The town of Noburi was small, but it was filled with Earth Kingdom soldiers. They were stationed at every corner and they were a large, unruly bunch. As the Rei Sin Players entered, they immediately barricaded with an endless torrent of questions. Michi, however, spoke to the commander and after a few moments, Michi left with him. Because Zuko and Iroh were at that back, they could not see what the problem was at the front. Zuko soon grew irritated and stood with his arms crossed, impatiently.

"What is taking so _long_?" He asked in a huffy voice.

Iroh glanced at him and sighed inwardly. Looking around, he could only see the road and the fields on either side. They had not quite all entered the town first and, since the Fire nation once-residents were forced to the back of the caravan, they could hardly see anything else.

"I think they may be having some trouble getting into the town." Iroh guessed. Zuko sighed quietly and nodded. He leaned casually against the cart staring at the ground. Iroh started humming something incoherent while he stroked the ostrich fondly. The thing squawked softly, the only other noise they could hear besides the other traveling players in front and behind them. They didn't notice the girl that came to stand next to them.

"We come here every year and still they question us." She muttered softly to Iroh.

Iroh jumped and whirled defensively around to face her. She smiled and laughed softly as Iroh apologized, slightly embarrassed. Zuko smiled.

"Uncle, I didn't know you scared so easily." He said smugly. Iroh turned to him with a frown on his face.

"And I, nephew, didn't know that you could smile." He said. Ignoring Zuko's frown, he turned his attention back to the girl.

"I don't believe we've met. I am Iroh. You said you come here every year?" Iroh said, now cheerfully talkative. The entrance into Noburi was taking longer than expected.

"Yes, I don't believe we have. I am Kaminari." She turned to Zuko and smiled. "I think I've seen you before. You didn't say what your name was?"

Zuko nodded and his expression was unreadable.

"Zuko." He said stiffly. He could see his uncle grinned manically at him behind the girl's back.

"Oh, well it is nice to meet you." Continuing her conversation with Iroh, she said, "Yes, we do come here every year, and still the Earth Kingdom soldiers can't get it into their thick heads that we are the same people." She sighed and shook her head in a sad way. "But it's even worse for us, you know, people of the Fire Nation, because then we can't make any money here."

Iroh nodded and Zuko looked on indifferently. Kaminari glanced ahead and noticed that the caravan was moving again.

"I guess we're all set then." She said. "I'll see you later I think. We'll have to camp a ways outside of town or else we'll find ourselves without carts or ostriches. They don't much like people of the Fire Nation." She waved and walked off to her own cart. Iroh grabbed the reins of their ostrich and began guiding it slowly into town. Zuko, not paying attention so the moving line, was surprised by the movement of the cart and fell back when it moved out from behind him. He landed on his back and could hear Iroh laughing out loud. Zuko grumbled and stood, dusting the dirt from his clothes. He could hear other people giggling behind their hands and heatedly followed Iroh, who was still chuckling, into town.

That night, the performers from the Fire Nation camped outside of Noburi. Unhappy though they were, each one seemed to go about with a smile on his or her face. They were a cheerful lot, and Iroh fit in quite snugly. Zuko, however, was still slightly disappointed about the whole thing and grumbled the whole time they were setting up their tent. Iroh was whistling merrily, which only made Zuko more irritable.

"Uncle," he finally growled warningly as he hammered down the stakes for their tent. Iroh stopped whistling and smiled as he straightened the tent's canvas covering.

"Zuko, I think you need to go blow off some steam." He said casually. Zuko glared at him evilly.

"Very amusing, Uncle." He snorted. Standing, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up at the sun. "Why is it so _hot_ here all the time?" He moaned.

Iroh shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and patted their ostrich-horse fondly on the neck. He started to unload their bags, setting them carefully on the ground.

"I think it is because of the sun." He said, raising an eyebrow. Zuko narrowed his eyes.

"I…see…" He said quietly through clenched teeth. Iroh smiled mischievously.

For another hour or so, the traveling players continued to set up camp, even in the hot sun. Around noon everyone was done, so all work stopped for lunch. They sat together, sharing food and drink, around in a circle of stools. Iroh, pointedly noticing Kaminari, sat next to her. Zuko sighed inwardly, but said nothing, sitting down beside his uncle. When Kaminari saw them both, she gave them a small smile.

"Hello again." She said pleasantly while taking out a small meal consisting of an apple, a piece of dried meat, and a small loaf of bread. "Hope you're not too made about not performing."

Iroh shook his head and got out their lunch as well. Not much differed in either of their meals, but it was mostly the same for every member of the camp. Several of the older men began a discussion and were hardly touching their food. Two women were feeding their children, listening intently to what they were saying. Kaminari sighed quietly as she noticed Iroh looking at them questioningly.

"Every time we sit down, those two are always at it." She shook her head in disgust. "I wish they'd give us a moment of peace."

Iroh's curiosity was perked and he turned to face the two men. They were arguing heatedly now, all thought of food forgotten. Iroh, surprisingly, forgot food himself and was becoming engrossed in what they were saying.

"Sora, I'm just telling you what I think should be done. The Fire Lord shouldn't wait for this supposed comet to win the war. Ba Sing Se will not fall because of some rock falling from the sky. When you think about it, Souzoun's comet might actually aide the Earth Kingdom instead."

The second man, Sora, shook his head in disbelieve.

"No, I think that the Fire Lord is doing the right thing, waiting for this comet. I mean, it must be a sign from an important spirit. The Fire Lord's brother, you know, once entered the spirit world. Maybe Lord Ozai did the same thing and was told specifically to wait to plan his end to the war."

At this, Iroh's eyes widened and he looked carefully around at the men. Zuko was staring at his uncle with a strange look in his eyes.

"I've given up on spirits long ago, Takashi. They haven't helped much, have they? At least, not as far as I can tell."

Takashi nodded, thoughtful.

"Yes, the Fire Nation's victories come from the perfect planning of the Fire Lord. Though his brother…" He trailed off.

"No one has heard of his brother in a long time. He must have cracked after his defeat in Ba Sing Se." Sora said.

Iroh raised an eyebrow and a noise issued from his throat. The two men turned to look curiously at him.

"I would not say he's _cracked_." Iroh said indignantly. Sora looked at him strangely.

"Well, he certainly hasn't done much to help Lord Ozai, that's for sure." He said while turning back to Takashi. Iroh grumbled something incoherent and began to eat his lunch. Zuko followed suit, although still paying close attention to what the two men were saying. Kaminari was also, chewing her food with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I just think this war has gone on long enough." Takashi said quietly. Sora threw his hands up in the air.

"Well of course it has!" He cried. "You don't think I know that? Just a few weeks ago, I ran into the Fire Lord's daughter! Asking me if I had seen her _brother_! This war has even made Lord Ozai's children crazy!"

Zuko choked and coughed loudly, spewing food in all directions. Everyone looked at him as Iroh gently patted him on the back.

"Just went down wrong." Iroh said with a nervous smile on his face. After a moment, the two men went on with their discussion. Iroh patted his nephew on the back once more and held up a cup of water. Gratefully, Zuko took it and drained in one gulp. He took in a deep breath and sighed.

"How could she know?" Zuko finally managed in a hoarse voice. Iroh shook his head.

"I'm not sure. She may not. It could have been a mere coincidence." Looking warily around, Iroh made sure that no one was listening to them. Kaminari had her attention focused on the two men's argument and the others around them were going off to their separate camps. "I don't think she knows where we are."

Zuko shook his head, but said nothing.

By the time the Sora and Takashi were done talking, most of the others had dispersed, leaving Kaminari, Iroh, and Zuko. Standing, Kaminari turned to them. She had a grim look on her face and she stared past their shoulders as she spoke.

"I have to go. I'll see you later tonight I think." Without her usual smile, she turned and walked briskly away in the direction of the town. Zuko and Iroh exchange nervous glances.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Avatar characters nor any of the animals related to the show, unless told otherwise. However, Kaminari, Michi, and a few others are of my own creation.

Zuko and Iroh watched nervously as Kaminari walked off in the direction of the village. The dirt path, off of which they had set up camp, passed through the farmlands of Noburi before splitting in two; the left continuing into the village, the right leading into a shallow forest. Zuko stood up quickly, and glared at his uncle.

"Now what?" He asked haughtily.

Iroh's brow furrowed.

"Well, maybe one of us should accompany her to make sure she says nothing about us." He posed with a hinting look in his nephew's direction. Zuko narrowed his eyes and his hands clenched angrily.

"Fine," he spat. "I'll be back."

Zuko then abruptly turned and began to stride quickly off to follow Kaminari. Soon, the camp was a little ways behind him and he was catching up to the girl. She was walked particularly slowly, so Zuko was almost upon her when they came to the fork. As he got closer, she turned around swiftly and Zuko was so startled that he almost ran into her. She glared at him.

"Look," she huffed. "Do you need something?" Her yellow eyes were narrowed and she was pointing a threatening finger in his direction. Zuko opened his mouth to reply when she advanced and poked him squarely in the chest.

"What was that for?" He asked crossly, his hands beginning to heat up. The girl rolled her eyes and turned away.

"Don't follow me." She called behind him, continuing down the path. She stopped at the fork and Zuko watched her, a dark expression on his face. With one more irritated glance backwards, she chose the right path and then disappeared into the forest. Zuko stood still for another minute, debating whether to follow her despite her warning, or to go back to the camp. Letting out a sigh, he swiftly turned and trudged back to where Iroh would be waiting for him.

It was dark before Kaminari returned and she passed by Zuko and Iroh's camp without saying a word. Her eyebrows were knitted together as if she was having trouble figuring out a complicated problem. Iroh waved to her, but she barely glanced at him. He frowned as she walked over to where her ostrich-horse was tied and began to dish out some food for the animal, getting ready to go to sleep.

"Hm." Iroh mused, his thumb and forefinger stroking his short beard. "I wonder what she was doing."

Zuko had told his uncle where the girl had gone; not into the village like he had feared, but into the forest. Iroh's thoughts had been dwelling on her since she left, but Zuko's mind had been on other things.

"Uncle, please." He sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time as his uncle once again brought her up. Zuko was still unnerved by his confrontation with the girl and he had been trying to practice his torch throwing. He had gotten pretty good and could now juggle with five lit torches, a little less than Michi and some of the best performers could juggle. He picked two of them up and lit them with a flick of his wrist. Iroh glanced in his direction then stood up with a sigh as Zuko began to throw the torches in the air. Zuko then began to add more torches until he had five, Iroh still standing and watching him.

"I'm going to sleep." Iroh eventually said. Zuko nodded his head, still concentrating on the fire. Iroh yawned and then began to unpack the cart, pulling out two sleeping-bags and dropping them on the ground. Zuko caught his torches, put them out, and set them gently on the ground. He picked up on of the bags and rolled it out next to the fire. Iroh hesitated, then took his bag and unrolled it on the opposite side of the fire. Zuko turned away and closed his eyes to sleep. Iroh watched him for a moment before yawning again and closing his eyes.

The next morning, Zuko awoke with a start. At first, he couldn't tell what had woken him up, but as his bleary eyes began to focus, he found himself staring into the yellow eyes of the girl. He tried backing away, but he was still wrapped tightly up in his sleeping bag. The most he could do was roll around and the girl watched him, an amused smile on her face.

"So sorry, Zuko." She said in a sincere voice. "I didn't mean to wake you up that way."

"Really?" Zuko grumbled, glaring angrily at her as he struggled out of his bag. "Why did you wake me up at all?"

Kaminari sighed and glanced around at Iroh's sleeping form. Zuko, having eventually wriggled out of the restraining sleep-bag, stood and looked at the girl.

"Did you want something?" He asked in an irritated voice. He still felt a little tired and noticed that the sun had only begun to peek over the horizon to light the earth.

"Well," she began, looking slightly embarrassed. "I know that you two are fire benders…"

Zuko's eyes narrowed and he watched her with a dangerous and worried expression.

"And?" He questioned sullenly as he began to roll up his sleeping-bag. I seemed obvious now that he was awake with this girl to talk to, he wouldn't be getting any more sleep. Kaminari eyed him apprehensively.

"I was wondering if you could teach me fire bending." She said quickly, a red blush creeping across her cheeks. Zuko's eyes widened in surprise and then he began to smile slightly. Crossing his arms, he said nothing, only continuing to stare at the unfortunate girl until she turned jerkily away.

"Okay." She said in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry I asked."

She took a step, about to walk away, when Zuko tapped her on the shoulder. Her head turned and she glanced uneasily at the prince over her shoulder.

"Look, I'm only learning too." Zuko said, his smile slowly slipping off his face. "And Michi still is helping me with juggling. But my uncle might be able to." There was a moment of silence and then Kaminari smiled broadly.

"Really?" She asked excitedly. Zuko nodded solemnly as he looked down at his sleeping uncle. Kaminari followed his gaze and then raised her arm, resting it lightly on Zuko's shoulder. He looked up, startled.

"You'll never be alone. He'll always be there." She said quietly. Zuko stared into her yellow eyes until she shook her head experimentally. Realizing that her hand was still on his shoulder, she hurriedly removed it as if it had burned her hand. She averted her eyes and stared instead at the ground.

"Anyways, sorry about last night." She said apologetically. "I was…preoccupied."

Zuko nodded but cocked his head vaguely in a curious way.

"I see." He said. Kaminari nodded and then started to walk away.

"Well, thanks." She called over her shoulder.

Zuko watched her walk away, an expression of interest on his face. With a sigh, he noticed that the sun had raised itself a sufficient height in the sky and several of the other Fire Nation players had already started stirring in their campsites. Iroh, however, was snoring quietly at Zuko's feet. Deciding that, since he was already up, he would get something to eat for his uncle and himself. Rifling through the bags on their cart, he came up with a few spare coins. Grasping them tightly in his hand, he untied their ostrich-horse and he started to pick his way through the campsites to get onto the road.

Even though the players from the Fire Nation were not allowed to perform, Michi seemed to think it was fairly safe to buy things from the merchants there. However, he had warned them all that they should be very careful not to anger any of the residents, especially the soldiers. He had also advised an escort, but it always turned out that one was not necessary.

So Zuko, leaving behind his uncle, took the short path into town to buy something fresh to eat for breakfast. As he rode into town, his thoughts returned to Kaminari. She was strange, but not exactly in a bad way.

_Just in an irritating way,_ he thought mildly with a frown on his face. Soon, small brown buildings began to appear in front of him. Raising his hand over his eyes, he scanned the town for a shop or cart where something to eat would be available. Upon entering, he immediately spotted a place that looked promising, and since it was so early, there was no one else there.

He pulled the ostrich-bird to a stop and carefully dismounted. The man behind the cart of fresh fruit and vegetables smiled at his new customer. Zuko walked straight up to the man and looked critically down at his wares. After some contemplation, he chose a few vegetables and fruits to take back to Iroh. The merchant smiled and carefully began placing the food into a basket as Zuko counted out the money.

"Hey you!" A gruff voice called out into the quiet of the town's morning stillness. Zuko froze as did the man, his eyes shifting over Zuko's shoulder. Zuko didn't turn around, not wanting to know who it was that called out. But he couldn't ignore the second call.

"Hey, can't you hear me? I'm talking to you!" Zuko's stance stiffened and his head turned slightly to the right, in the direction of the voice. The merchant hastily handed over the basket and clutched the coins Zuko gave him in return. His eyes had grown wide and wary as Zuko sensed rather than saw one of the Earth Kingdom soldiers come up behind him.

"I've been waiting all morning for your cart to open, so how come he gets to buy his stuff first?" The soldier asked, staring directly into the poor shopkeeper's eyes. The man swallowed.

"It wasn't open before." He said quietly in a shaky voice. "He just happened to be here."

"Well, next time you make sure _I'm_ the first costumer." The soldier replied gruffly as he pushed Zuko out of the way with his elbow. Zuko frowned as he opened his mouth to respond, then checked himself and decided against it. He was not exactly pleased with the behavior of the soldier, but he didn't want to risk getting into serious trouble. This was just the kind of thing Michi was worried about. He sighed and turned away, placing his purchases inside the two bags hanging on either side of his ostrich-horse. Patting the animal's neck, he hauled himself on its back and guided towards the direction of the Fire Nation encampment.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Avatar characters. I just love Zuko and Iroh.

"That was very good Prince Zuko. Now, try again but this time with more force. Breath out quickly and let the fire grow before letting it release." Iroh was standing in a small clearing near the edge of the woods by the road. Zuko spun around and looked at his uncle as he spread his legs apart, ready to begin the firebending sequence again.

"Move your arms up just a bit higher." Iroh called from several safe yards away. His yellow eyes lit up brightly as Zuko's fire invaded the clearing, barely missing the leaves hanging from the trees. As Zuko landed on the ground after a spectacular kick, Iroh clapped his hands in appreciation.

"Excellent! That was perfect!" Iroh called out, advancing in Zuko's direction. Zuko smiled slightly and bowed shortly, his hands pressed together respectfully.

"Thank you, uncle." He replied as he straightened up. He looked around the clearing and found it to be very quiet; almost unusually so. Iroh noticed his gaze and looked around as well.

"I think you scared the poor animals, Zuko." He whispered, grinning broadly. Zuko nodded, but said nothing. Instead, he walked slowly over to the tiny stream running delicately through the trees. He bent down and cupped his hands, intending to take a drink. That was, until, he noticed a flash of red material on the edge of his vision. Whipping quickly around, he was surprised to see the Fire Nation girl from earlier. She bowed to both of them, an uncertain smile on her face. Iroh grinned and bowed back, pleasantly surprised by her presence.

"What are you two doing here?" She asked after a moment of silence. Zuko blinked in astonishment and glanced at his uncle whose smile lost some of its inertia.

"I was teaching my nephew here some new firebending moves." Iroh replied, his eyes resting lightly on the girl's face. She seemed to be uneasy about something and her eyes kept flickering in several different directions. Zuko also noticed this odd behavior and cocked his head slightly to one side.

"Why do you need to know?" He asked, a note of annoyance entering his voice. She frowned and looked at him, her yellow eyes narrowing.

"There are some things worth knowing." She said evenly. Zuko raised his eyebrow and glanced at his uncle again.

"Well, its getting late. Shouldn't you be getting back to the camp?" She said, her tone becoming worried. Zuko opened his mouth to say something when Iroh cut in.

"Yes, Zuko, it is getting late. Let's go back to the camp." Zuko was about to protest when his uncle began to push him in the direction of the road.

"Come on Zuko, time to go! We don't want any wild animals eating us out here!" Iroh gave a cheesy smile and waved his hand at the girl, who looked relieved.

"See you back at camp!" She called in a cheery voice and watched them as they disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Iroh put a finger to his lips to make sure Zuko wouldn't talk then led him back to the road. As soon as they had exited the forest, Zuko rounded on his uncle.

"Why did you make us leave?" He demanded in a loud voice. Iroh looked behind them and continued walking back to the camp.

"She wanted us to." He said simply. Then a smile broke out on his old face and he glanced up at Zuko. "And I can never say no to a pretty lady." Zuko fumed silently until they could see the glow of the campfires up ahead.

As soon and his uncle was asleep, Zuko slipped out of his sleeping bag and stepped quietly over to the girl's camp. Her bird was silent and her fire was cold. Looking around, he saw that she had not even begun to set up her camp yet. That meant she had to still be in the forest. After a moments debate, he stopped by their camp and grabbed his broadswords. Strapping them around his waist as he walked, Zuko made his way quickly to the road and then into the forest. As he entered, he could sense certain stillness about the entire place. He slowed his pace and approached the clearing carefully. He stopped suddenly when her heard voices and the sounds of what he thought might have been a small animal chattering away. He crept carefully to a bush and parted several of the leaves with his hand, barely creating a rustle. His eyes widened as he saw the girl poking a stick into a bright fire in the center of the clearing. What shocked him even more were the people she was sitting next to.

On one side of her was a boy dressed in blue clothes and holding a cruel looking instrument that was bent at a ninety degree angle. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the boy and also the girl who was sitting next to him. She wore blue as well, darker because of the shadows cast by the firelight. And then he saw the younger boy, dressed in the forgotten clothes of the airbending monks, the arrow on his head shinning slightly as the light bounced across his skull.

Zuko's mind raced as he tried to formulate plans about this young boy's capture. He couldn't believe he was so close! It took all his willpower not to jump out into the open and grab the Avatar. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes, visualizing a plan. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see the girl dancing in front of the fire, the others watching on entranced. Zuko's eyes widened as he noticed that flames were moving with her in a rhythmic pattern. As she twirled around, a long, thin flame followed her and wrapped gently around her body like a kind of burning scarf. The others scooted away from the campfire but the Avatar leaned in watching with fascinations. However, the girl looked surprised and suddenly stopped, letting the flame wither away into nothing. She was still for a few moments before the water-tribe girl spoke. Zuko could barely make out what she was saying over the crackling of the fire and the noise of the lemur.

"How did you _do_ that?"

The firebender shook her head and sat abruptly down on the ground, bringing her knees against her chest.

"I can't firebend." She said into the fire. Zuko leaned a little ways out of the bush, straining to hear.

"That's never happened before." The Avatar's shoulder's sunk.

"How am I going to learn firebending?" He wondered out loud. The older boy held out his hands and shrugged his shoulders, the light reflecting off his boomerang.

"Maybe she can teach you to dance…"

The water-tribe girl rolled her eyes and said something quietly to the performer. All three were disturbed by a loud cracking sound as the branches Zuko had been leaning on finally gave way and made him fall flat on his face into the open. They all stood there, stunned for several moments, giving Zuko time to stand. There was a shocked silence as they all recognized each other.

"Zuko!" Kaminari and Katara cried in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" Sokka and Aang exclaimed.

"Were you a spy?" Everyone questioned angrily, addressing Kaminari. She smiled sheepishly and looked back and forth between the fuming people.

"I didn't know you guys knew each other…" She trailed off. Sokka thrust his boomerang threateningly in Kaminari's direction.

"I can't believe you were working for Zuko!" He cried. "I was actually starting to like you!" He then began to blush ferociously, despite the situation they were in. "Well, um…I meant as a person!" He stated, crossing his arms in a pout. Zuko was becoming even more confused and angry.

"She's not working for me!" He scowled. "She's…she's just a…" Kaminari glanced back and forth, her brow furrowing. Katara had pulled out a long stream of water and looked about ready to attack.

"Hey." She said, addressing the whole group. When they all continued to glare at each other, she raised her voice.

"HEY!" She yelled, gaining everyone's attention quickly. She gazed around at them all in curiosity. "Now, I'd love to just stay here all night discussing your little problems but frankly I don't care. Now, Aang here needs to learn firebending." Her golden eyes turned on Zuko as he continued to glare in the Avatar's direction.

"He needs a teacher."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the Avatar characters. I just happen to like messing with their Fate.

There was a resounding silence throughout the group.

Then…

"Just what exactly are you suggesting?" Katara questioned in a whisper. Her own conclusions had been formed rather quickly, much to Kaminari's delight. She couldn't speak because Sokka had decided to give his opinion and forcefully.

"Are you crazy?" He said in a strained voice. He was glaring at both of the firebenders alternately. "He's been trying to kill us!"

Zuko snorted and crossed his arms. His yellow eyes were watching them all warily. Kaminari was grinning uncontrollably and was glancing at each one of them with expectant curiosity. Then, she abruptly sat down and crossed her legs.

"I think we all need to sit down and talk about this rationally." No one moved of course and her smile faltered.

"I asked you to _sit._" She said in a dark voice. Surprised, Sokka, Katara, and Aang sat with her, their eyes wide. Still, they never left the two faces of Zuko and Kaminari. They waited in silence while Zuko stood haughtily with his arms crossed. Kaminari turned to face him and her eyes narrowed. All traces of a smile or friendly face were gone and she looked quite frightening in the firelight.

"SIT!" She yelled suddenly. Everyone jumped and watched, amazed, as Zuko sat, shocked into obeying. As soon as he was on the ground, Kaminari's smile returned and she looked around at all of them. They all glared at her then at each other.

"There's no way Zuko is going to teach Aang firebending at that's that." Katara said with a tone of finality. Kaminari looked at her with a strange face.

"I don't think that's for you to decide." She replied. Her gaze continued to stray. "I'm going to state the obvious here so please forgive me. Zuko is a good firebender." Zuko barely hid his apparent delight even though he could hardly count her opinion of him since she knew next to nothing about firebending.

"Yeah, but he's been after us since the South Pole!" Sokka said, violently jabbing his boomerang in Zuko's direction.

"Don't point that at me!" Zuko snarled. Kaminari glared at them both until they were only muttering curses under their breath.

"Lookit here you idiots." She said. This small comment caught all attentions but before they could say anything, she quickly continued. "Zuko is a good firebender regardless," she looked meaningfully at Sokka. "Of whether he has been after the three of you or not. Now, I promised you a firebender and here you have one. What I don't understand is why you all can't just see that this…works." She gestured at Zuko and he let out a sigh.

"This doesn't work!" Katara cried. She stood and Zuko swiftly followed suit. Sokka got up as well and the two of them were glaring at Zuko from across the fire. They were startled out of their battle of wills when Aang spoke at last.

"He is a good firebender."

This was enough to make everyone redirect their attention to focus on him. He was staring into the fire and his eyes were only slits. He had his knees drawn up against his chest and his arms were wrapped protectively around them.

"Aang, you can't seriously be-"

"You think I'm good?" Zuko's question cut off Sokka's remark as he looked intently at the young airbending monk. Silence once again fell over them like a heavy blanket. Not even Kaminari dared to break it. Aang's eyes moved slowly over and up to meet the teenager's stare. Then, he nodded and Katara let out a kind of strained sigh.

"He is good Katara." Aang said in her direction. "Even if he is…was after us." Sokka could only open his mouth and gawk at them all.

"Are you crazy!?" He cried. "He is the _prince_ of the _Fire Nation_! The enemy! He would kill-"

"Prince?" Kaminari's whisper was barely heard, but Zuko had caught it and his eyes narrowed.

"-us all in our sleep! You can't Aang, you really just can't!" Sokka's face had started to turn a slight shade of red and he had to catch his breath before continuing his rant. He was interrupted however by Zuko whirling quickly on him and positioning himself in a fighting stance. Immeadialty, Sokka and Katara also got into fighting stances and Kaminari leapt to her feet. Aang, however, remained on the ground and seemed oblivious to what was going on around him. He was staring deep into the fire, silent and unmoving. Zuko was glaring at Sokka, the fire making shadows dance across his face. Sokka's eyes never left the prince's and Katara was glancing between Zuko and Aang, her face full of worry.

"P-prince?" Kaminari stuttered. Her eyes had grown wide as she looked imploringly at Zuko. "You-you're a prince?"

Zuko merely gave her a withering glance before he returned his attention to the two siblings in front of him. It was momentarily silent until Aang spoke again.

"Zuko…" He trailed off. Taking a deep breath, he began once more, this time his grey eyes focusing on the teenager's face. Zuko looked back at him, partly curious. "Zuko, you could help me."

"No!" The prince cried. Aang watched him impassively as the enraged youth began to pace in front of the fire. Katara and Sokka made to attack him when Aang raised a hand to stop them. He stood, very slowly and almost tiredly. Kaminari watched them all, a strange look on her face.

"Zuko…" Aang said again. Zuko looked at him. There was something, something that passed over Aang face. For just a moment, he looked _old_ somehow; old and…and…something else. Zuko froze and watched the young airbender.

"I need your help Zuko." There was a kind of undertone, an odd underlying voice that was much deeper and much more…ancient. He froze. Katara and Sokka and Kaminari seemed to have frozen as well and it was still in the clearing.

"I-I…it's…I can't." He whispered. Aang's eyes never wavered.

"You can." It wasn't just a statement. It was a command.

* * *

The next morning, Kaminari was sleeping peacefully when she was awakened by Iroh who was in a frantic state.

"Where's Zuko?" He questioned, eyes scanning the quiet encampment. Groggily, the young teen raised her head and stared blearily at the old man who was throwing his and what remained of his nephew's belongings on the ground as if Zuko had somehow hidden underneath them.

"Huh?" She asked as she slowly sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Iroh whirled violently on her and grasped her roughly by the shoulders.

"My nephew! He's not here!" Iroh cried. Surprised by the old man's tight grip, she pushed his hands away gently and looked deep into his eyes. Iroh stopped shaking her suddenly and looked back at her, tears welling in the corners of his eyes.

"He's not here." He repeated. Kaminari nodded solemnly and her eyes briefly glanced at the road.

"I know."


End file.
